Forum: More national civic rituals like NDP can better integrate new citizens
While quality and sustainable immigration mitigates issues of an ageing population, effective integration is necessary. As we welcome the vibrant cultures newcomers bring, we must simultaneously clarify what they are integrating into. National identity is a psychological bond, based on shared values, culture and history, which provides impetus for civic responsibility.
Singapore's nation-building has always been a deliberate act of multicultural management, but the context of post-1965 is vastly different from today. Newcomers arrive in a nation with an established, yet evolving, character. Cultural identity elements like hawker food and Singlish are in flux and potentially challenged.
The forging of our national identity and current loci of socialisation are heavily concentrated in the formative years through school and national service. This excludes many, especially new adult citizens who arrive after this period. Disenchantment may also creep in for existing citizens, the more distant they are from those seasons.
Over the years, National Day celebrations have expanded into a spectacular and inclusive societal, cultural ritual, with celebrations extending into the heartland in the days surrounding it. I've personally enjoyed organising National Day Parade (NDP) watch parties for friends and family to come together to feast and celebrate the day, even if we cannot attend the parade.
It is a national civic ritual that transcends age, language, religion and race.
I suggest we strengthen our common ground through new national civic rituals like this – and they must be participatory, not just observational.
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Imagine a Civic Day where schools, businesses, and civil society organise a national day of community service. Or Racial Harmony Day as a public holiday fostering community-led feasts and gatherings in every neighbourhood.
Such rituals enable meaningful shared experiences that reinforce our collective identity.
While the state can provide the policy and infrastructure conditions for civic rituals to bloom, they must be catalysed by collaborative civil society and ultimately a commitment by everyone.
A confident, collective conversation about our core Singaporean identity is essential for our nation's long-term existential survival.
Ronald Wong
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CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
Thai-Cambodia ceasefire an ASEAN win - but US, China ‘loomed large'. What roles did they play?
BEIJING/SINGAPORE: Artillery fire along the disputed Thai-Cambodian border might have fallen silent for now, but the battle for regional sway between the United States and China continues. A joint statement issued after an unconditional ceasefire agreement between Thailand Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet was brokered in Malaysia on Monday (Jul 28) revealed that the meeting was co-organised by the US, with China's 'active participation'. While analysts lauded the ceasefire as a win for Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), repeated references to Washington and Beijing by the three PMs at the post-talks press conference point to deeper superpower involvement. China's foreign ministry also announced on Wednesday that Thailand and Cambodian representatives met in Shanghai for an informal meeting, while US President Donald Trump declared himself 'president of peace' in his social media post on Monday. 'ASEAN hosted the talks, but the weight of Washington and Beijing loomed large,' said veteran Malaysian diplomat Ilango Karuppannan, also a former High Commissioner to Singapore and Ambassador to Lebanon. 'Malaysia helped shape the outcome but it did so in an environment made more conducive by external push and pull factors,' he told CNA. However, the approaches by Beijing and Washington differ. Analysts say the US uses a carrot-and-stick strategy, leveraging tariffs for influence. In contrast, China prefers quiet engagement to safeguard its regional interests. To observers, the episode illustrates how both powers remain aligned - at least tactically - in preventing further escalation in a region where their economic and strategic stakes are deeply entrenched. Analysts note that neither Beijing nor Washington benefits from prolonged instability along the Mekong frontier, which could disrupt supply chains, threaten infrastructure investments, and trigger wider political fallout across mainland Southeast Asia. In the immediate term, analysts say both powers may see some reputational gains among regional elites for helping to avert a deeper crisis. But the contrast in style also reinforces long-standing perceptions: Washington as forceful but transactional, Beijing as cautious but ever-present. Whether these approaches translate into lasting diplomatic capital may depend on whether the ceasefire holds - and how both powers respond if it begins to unravel. 'Both these superpowers are friends of Southeast Asia. All the countries here depend on these two for either trade or security ... they have an important role to play,' said Karuppannan. WASHINGTON'S OPEN ASSERTION, BEIJING'S QUIET INTERVENTION At the Monday press conference announcing the ceasefire, all three leaders - Anwar, Hun Manet and Phumtham - made references to roles played by the US and China. Anwar described the meeting as 'co-organised by the United States of America, with the active participation of the People's Republic of China', adding that both powers had worked to 'promote a peaceful resolution' to the ongoing conflict. He also noted that their presence, alongside ASEAN and host country Malaysia, reflected 'a shared commitment to peace, dialogue, and regional stability'. Hun Manet offered particular praise for Washington, thanking Trump for what he described as 'decisive mediation' on Jul 26. That same day, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, saying he had spoken directly with Hun Manet and was preparing to call Thailand's acting leader to press for an immediate ceasefire. 'We happen to be, by coincidence, currently dealing on Trade with both Countries, but do not want to make any Deal ... if they are fighting - And I have told them so!' Trump wrote. 'Cambodia values the effort of the United States and thanks its government for organising this crucial meeting in support of peace,' said Hun Manet. He also acknowledged Beijing's contribution, thanking 'the government of China for its efforts and participation in this process in order to achieve the outcome that we have today'. Phumtham echoed the sentiment, briefly thanking both China and Trump. These public acknowledgements reinforced the perception that Washington and Beijing had applied pressure to steer the two parties toward de-escalation. Trump has also openly taken credit for brokering the Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire deal, declaring that his intervention brought peace and paved the way for renewed trade talks. 'By ending this war, we have saved thousands of lives,' Trump said on Truth Social. 'I have instructed my trade team to restart negotiations on trade. I have now ended many wars in just six months - I am proud to be the President of peace!' Experts said Trump's call for peace was loud - threatening to cease trade talks with both Thailand and Cambodia if hostilities continued - and appeared to work. It was also an opportune window, they added, with both Thailand and Cambodia facing 36 per cent tariff hikes set to begin on Aug 1. 'I guess Trump can shock leaders into action. His direct diplomacy did appear to get the Thais and Cambodians to talk and have an agreement,' said Ja Ian Chong, an assistant political science professor at the National University of Singapore, noting that the US leader had 'linked tariff talks to a ceasefire'. 'ASEAN and Malaysia clearly had a role in facilitating the agreement (but) ASEAN on its own was unable to broker a meeting earlier or to prevent conflict from breaking out,' Chong said. 'But for all the talk about (the importance of Chinese exports), it seems that these states still can't do without the US market.' The Thai-Cambodia ceasefire deal was a clear win for the US, said Bradley Jensen Murg, senior advisor to the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, an NGO think tank in Phnom Penh. 'In the immediate term, on Sino-American competition in the region: the points go to Washington - a much needed 'win' following significant erosion of American influence in 2025,' he said. Trump has vowed to be a 'peacemaker' president during his second White House term, promising to end global conflicts like the Gaza war and Israel-Iran conflict. In Scotland on Monday, he also set a new deadline of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress in ending the war in Ukraine, threatening sanctions if unmet. Rather than position itself as a public confrontational mediator like the US, China has often favoured behind-the-scenes engagement and messaging that emphasises centrality and regional solutions, experts said. For instance, China today hosted an informal trilateral meeting in Shanghai - its latest diplomatic effort to reinforce the fragile ceasefire and avert further escalation. According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong met with representatives from both Cambodia and Thailand in what was described as a 'candid, friendly and cordial' exchange. Representing Cambodia at the meeting was Kung Phoak, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while Thailand was represented by Jullapong Nonsrichai, executive advisor to the Thai foreign minister. 'The Cambodian and Thai sides reaffirmed to the Chinese side their commitment to the ceasefire consensus and expressed appreciation for the constructive role China has played in helping de-escalate the situation,' the statement read. China's top diplomat Wang Yi has also called for calm. In separate meetings held earlier this month with Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn, Wang, who's China's foreign minister, expressed hope that the two Southeast Asian neighbours would uphold peace and resolve their dispute through dialogue. In comparison, analysts said that while the US has adopted a carrot-and-stick approach by using tariffs as economic leverage over both Southeast Asian countries, China by contrast, has been more restrained and nuanced - especially when compared to Trump's headline-grabbing approaches. 'The Trump administration's diplomacy was overtly transactional and used the prospect of favourable or punitive trade terms as leverage,' said Sothyridh Ean, a Cambodian commentator and PhD political science candidate at the University of Toronto. 'Beijing, by contrast, kept a lower profile, preferring quiet envoy-level engagement that protects its regional economic interests while avoiding direct entanglement,' he said, adding that it had chosen a 'wait-and-see approach designed to preserve influence without heavy political costs'. Beijing might not have taken the lead in shaping the ceasefire text but it played a vital role in shaping the environment that allowed Malaysian and ASEAN officials to facilitate talks, said veteran Malaysian diplomat Karuppannan. '(Beijing) would probably have been playing the role behind the scene ... to keep things under the lid, so that (the negotiation) doesn't break apart,' he added. COMMON STRATEGIC INTERESTS For both global superpowers, the Thailand-Cambodia conflict was not merely a border skirmish - it represented a strategic flashpoint in a region central to both US and Chinese economic and geopolitical interests, experts said. Prolonged fighting and instability risks disrupting trade corridors, undermining infrastructure investments, and damaging political capital accumulated over decades, they added. China's interests in keeping the region stable was both 'economic and strategic', said Karuppannan, adding Beijing had poured billions into infrastructure and energy projects through its Belt and Road Initiative, with Cambodia being one of its most loyal partners in the region. 'China relies upon Southeast Asia for not only supplies, but also exports, and trade, and investments,' he said. 'Disruption here would actually bring about ... a big disaster in so far as global trade is concerned.' 'Whether they (China and the US) like it or not, they have to keep Southeast Asia intact.' Ean noted Beijing's delicate balancing act, carefully protecting its 'extensive economic stakes in Thailand and strategic ties with Cambodia'. 'China's bilateral trade with Thailand is very large while trade with Cambodia has grown to record levels,' he said. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, said China's risk calculus was clear. 'China does not want to see a military conflict and attendant instability in mainland Southeast Asia, which it considers its backyard.' Even with an official ceasefire in place, experts said the situation remained fragile and have also cast doubt on whether the deal would hold. 'I am very sceptical that this ceasefire will work,' said Kurlantzick, noting that there had already been reports of 'continued fighting'. 'I'm not sure the ceasefire will make it out this week.' Still, experts agreed that willingness from both Washington and Beijing to support the diplomatic process reflected a rare moment of alignment.
Business Times
10 hours ago
- Business Times
Thailand accuses Cambodia of ‘flagrant violation' but fragile truce holds
[BANGKOK] A fragile truce between Cambodia and Thailand held for a second day on Wednesday (Jul 30), despite mutual accusations of violations, and Cambodia took military attaches and diplomats to a border checkpoint destroyed by fighting to verify the ceasefire. The visit took place hours after Thailand's military accused Cambodian forces of breaching the truce at three separate locations along the disputed frontier. The Cambodian government denied this. The two sides agreed at a meeting in Malaysia on Monday to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to halt the heaviest fighting between the two countries in over a decade. There have been no reports of any exchange of heavy artillery fire since the truce was announced, but Thai and Cambodian troops were still massed along the frontier where fighting raged for five days at multiple locations. At least 43 people, many of them civilians, were killed and more than 300,000 people were displaced. At the checkpoint in Cambodia's Preah Vihear province, which was now a pile of concrete, bricks and metal, Cambodian military officials told foreign observers on Wednesday that Thailand had illegally captured 20 Cambodian soldiers, according to a government statement. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up 'One of our soldiers managed to flee,' said Major General Chan Sopheaktra, according to the statement. 'We suspect two others may have died, but the rest are still being held by the Thai military, with no signs of release as of this afternoon.' Thai government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub said Thailand's military was currently holding 18 Cambodian soldiers who it said surrendered in Sisaket province. They had been provided clothes, food, water and medical care, he said. 'They are expected to be sent back to Cambodia after a permanent ceasefire is reached,' he said, adding the bodies of two deceased Cambodian soldiers had been returned on Tuesday. Referring to Cambodia taking defence attaches to the border, Thailand's vice foreign minister, Russ Jalichandra, said Bangkok would soon do the same, when it was safe to proceed. 'Cambodia was able to act more quickly than Thailand because they were the party that initiated the attacks, which gave them immediate command and control over the area,' he said The Thai army accused Cambodian forces of violating the truce overnight, including with small arms, grenade launchers and mortar fire, spread over several hours at multiple locations. Cambodia called Thailand's allegations baseless. 'Cambodia strongly rejects the ceasefire accusations as false, misleading and harmful to the fragile trust-building process,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chum Sounry said, adding the government supports a monitoring mechanism and independent observation. The ceasefire, which also agreed to halt troop movement, paves the way for a high-level military meeting that includes defence ministers on August 4 in Cambodia. Thailand and Cambodia have argued for decades over jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817-km land border and there have been occasional skirmishes, with ownership of several ancient temples central to the disputes. In May, a Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief gun battle, which led to a troop buildup and a diplomatic crisis. The full-blown fighting erupted last week following Thai accusations that Cambodia had laid new landlines in the area that had maimed Thai soldiers. Phnom Penh rejects this. REUTERS
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Straits Times
Thai court set to rule if Thaksin dodged jail with hospital stay
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The court's scrutiny of former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra's hospital stay comes amid a wave of legal challenges targeting the Shinawatra family. BANGKOK – A top Thai court is set to rule in September whether former premier Thaksin Shinawatra effectively served a one-year prison term that he spent in a hospital, with an unfavourable verdict potentially sending the ruling party's de facto leader back to jail. The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions will deliver its verdict at 10am on Sept 9, following the conclusion of a weeks-long trial that ended on July 30, according to Thaksin's lawyer Winyat Chatmontree. The case centres around Thaksin's controversial stay in Bangkok's police hospital after his 2023 return to Thailand, following 15 years in exile. The two-time former prime minister didn't spend a single day of his royally-commuted sentence for corruption in prison, but was instead lodged in the hospital for various illnesses before being released on parole. Mr Winyat declined to say whether the court could send Thaksin back to jail if it rules that he has not properly served his time. Thaksin is required to be present for the ruling along with the chief of the Bangkok remand prison, according to the court. Thaksin's return was seen as part of a deal with his former foes in the conservative establishment to help them stay in power following the general election in 2023. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MHA to support HSA's crackdown on Kpod abusers and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam Business S'pore's economic resilience will face headwinds in second half of 2025 from tariffs, trade conflicts: MAS Business S'pore's Q2 total employment rises, but infocomm and professional services sectors see more job cuts Singapore Fewer than 1 in 5 people noticed suspicious items during MHA's social experiments Asia Powerful 8.8-magnitude quake in Russia's far east causes tsunami; Japan, Hawaii order evacuations Singapore Migrant workers who gave kickbacks to renew work passes were conservancy workers at AMK Town Council Asia Japan, Vietnam, EU contest terms of US tariff deals behind the scenes Singapore Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made He had previously been convicted in three corruption cases dating back to his tenure as prime minister from 2001 until his ouster in a 2006 coup. He fled the country in 2008 and was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison. The court's scrutiny of Thaksin's hospital stay comes amid a wave of legal challenges targeting the Shinawatra family. His daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was suspended earlier in July by the Constitutional Court , which is reviewing whether she violated ethical standards in her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia. On July 30, the court set Aug 4 as the final deadline for Ms Paetongtarn to submit her response to the allegations before it starts deliberating on the case and issues a ruling later. Thaksin, now 76, also faces a verdict in August in a royal defamation case that could result in a prison sentence of up to 15 years. Thailand has a long history of political instability. Over the past two decades several prime ministers linked to Thaksin have been removed from office through court rulings or military coups. Ms Paetongtarn's immediate predecessor, Mr Srettha Thavisin, was dismissed by the Constitutional Court in 2024 over allegations of ethical misconduct. BLOOMBERG
